Our cheese viewing room and self-serve retail is open every day from 9-5 including holidays thru Dec 2009.

Willow Hill Farm award-winning Sheep and Cow's Milk Cheeses...

OUR CAVE.....

Our small underground caves provide the optimal humidity and temperature control for our cheeses. Constructed out of concrete eight feet underground, with a back wall of Vermont's natural bedrock, the tiny fissures in the rock seep water into the rooms dependent upon the seasons above ground. This makes for small nuances in each cheese throughout the seasons. And a challenge to the affineur! (person who cares and guides the ripening of the cheeses). Our cave is the only one of its kind in the USA-somewhat like a mini-Roquefort with its back wall providing natural molds indigenous to this farm and droplets of water at all times.

WHAT’S NEW?

A newly released blue cheese made from our own sheep and cows’ milk. Aged in our underground cave on hardwood planks we harvested here on the farm. This one, gets its name sake from the original cowboys on our family ranch, or Vaqueros, as they were once called, from Spain. We modeled this cheese after a Spanish cheese except we made it a mixed milk! And on its very first entry at the World Cheese Awards 2009-this year held in Spain, it garnered a bronze medal. Not bad for a new cheese.

WILLOW HILL FARM cheese is unique in that each one is created from our own original farmhouse recipes and ripened in our small underground cave-thus, each wheel carries with it flavors indicative of the native flora and fauna of this farm. It is truly of the land! (we use only non-GMO vegetarian rennet in every cheese)

AUTUMN OAK-2nd place 1999, 1st place 2000, 2nd place in 2002, 3rd place in 2003...Gold Medal at the World Cheese Awards in London, England Sept 2004! This smooth and creamy natural rind cheese is made from the fresh rich milk of the farm's own ewes. Its flavor is reminiscent of wild woodland mushrooms with a full mouth feel! Approx. 2.5 lb wheel (Avail Late Aug-Feb)

LA FLEURIE- This little morsel is like a mini-Camembert! Disc-shaped, bloomy rind cow's milk cheese from our own rich Brown Swiss cows' milk. It begins young like a richer Chaource then ripens to a mushroomy and buttery round- Approx 8 ounce round (Avail yr-round) As seen in Williams-Sonoma Holiday 2008

PANIOLO- Rare and unique washed rind that is aromatic, unctuous and decadent! Not for the faint of heart this stronger Abbey-style cheese was named in honor of the generations of 'Paniolos' or cowboys who have worked on the cheese maker's 150 year old family ranch. Creamy, mushroomy with a meaty finish. 3 lb wheel (Avail yr-round)

SUMMERTOMME- 1st place award in 2001, 2nd place in 2002, 2nd place 2004, SILVER MEDAL at the World Cheese Awards in London, England Sept 2004, 3rd place 2005, 3rd place 2006-Introduced in 2001, this small round is in the style of Brin d'Amour with a slightly different herb crust. It is Provence in nature with rich buttery notes and an almost floral finish. Another American Original for Willow Hill Farm! 8 ounce round (Avail. May-Oct)

VAQUERO BLUE- New! Sheep and cow's milk blend. Meaning 'cowboy blue' (vaqueros were the first cowboys from Spain to inhabit the wild west and eventually migrated to our family's ranch over 160 yrs ago)...This cave ripened blue cheese boasts notes of fresh butter and cream with hints of chocolate at the finish. Bronze Medal World Cheese Awards Oct 2009!

VERMONT BREBIS-1st place award in 2003, BRONZE MEDAL at the World Cheese Awards in London, England Sept 2004, 3rd place 2005, SILVER medal World Cheese Awards 2006, 3rd place 2007 (ACS)-Introduced in May 2003, this little gem was awarded the blue ribbon at the prestigious ACS competition in San Francisco three months later! A small round wheel, Vermont Brebis (pr. bray-bee) is olive-y and mushroomy and runny when ripe. Has a luscious mouth feel 6 ounce round (Avail May-Oct)